Picture Book reviews, Kids Games, Activity Ideas and Mom Life

Reading Aloud set me Free!

What does Freedom mean to me?

Hello guys! I am part of the team hosting the #LetsDiscussFreedom Blogathon! I had this post written and ready to go yesterday, but due to some issues with the blog, I am getting posted it now! After a LONG frustrating day, I realized how much I LOVE my blog and this little space – and that I don’t want to be in a position of losing it. ( more on it later). This post is close to my heart, and is about reading aloud to kids, Off to the post!

I am using this prompt, to ask you a few questions!

What are the things that are holding you back from reading to your kids?

When I started reading books to my kids, I did not know where to start or how to read. I would read to them like I would read my School textbooks, big mistake! Have you felt sleepy when your teacher at school would read out paragraphs of English texts non- stop? It was easy as a School – going kid to zone out, and the teachers voice would make me very sleepy! So what do you think is different here? Nothing actually! A monotonous voice reading lines after lines of texts is BORING, ( and unfortunately) puts the kids to bed.

What I want you to think though is, is that what you want? You want the kids to listen to you, not comprehend the text, and go to sleep?

No, I don’t think so! Every parent wants their kid to get the maximum out of everything they put an effort and money into (yes books cost money, whatever little). So, if experts promise, that reading regularly for 15 minutes helps them in building a vast and varied vocabulary, helps in speech development and later on helps in reading comprehension – You would want all of this for your child but ahhh! there she sleeps!

What am I doing wrong while reading aloud?

You are holding back, you aren’t interacting with the text, and yes, that is NO fun! So I ask you to set your inhibitions aside, to let your inner child take control – and look at the book as if it is full of wonder and let your voice dance to the rhythm of the text. And this is what freedom means to me!

Even after a bad day, having this relaxing time with kids – is something I look forward to. Freedom to express, Freedom to be a kid, Freedom to let myself have fun in between all the adulting that is considered my job, freedom to be me – freedom to let a book take over the job of creating magic in our mundane lives.

It is easy, and it is like magic! Kids interact with the story, they learn patience (a lot of patience is needed to know what happens in a story), they learn new vocabulary, they find wings for their own imagination and set free their inhibitions.

Wait for the next installment where I tell you more about reading aloud daily!

This blog post is a part of #LetsDiscussFreedom Blogathon. I would like to thank Pavneet who blogs at VINTAGE Mommy introducing me. I would now like to introduce Jinal, who blogs at ForeverSassyMommy.com and recommend you to read her views on the prompt, ‘What Does Freedom Mean To You’.